Full Circle to the Truth
by Riku-Rocks
Summary: A drunken mistake one evening leads to a gruesome act of revenge against Reno...by an unexpected source. This causes Zack, Leon, and Riku to face some difficult decisions and painful consequences. Post-KHII. Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts.
1. Prologue

_Full Circle to the Truth_

_This story is rated **M** for violence, blood, slight gore, and intense situations._

_Author's note: This story is an extended and higher rated version (with an added prologue and epilogue) of the story Nut from my one-shot series, Arsenal of Words. For those of you who are familiar with that series, this also ties in with Miscreant (Leon's mentioned warning) and Beat (Zack's mentioned warning). However, it is not necessary to have read any of those tales to read and understand this one. Thank you and enjoy.

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Prologue:

It was cold that evening, having grown dark earlier, and Riku was tired from a full day of school and work. Debugging and rebuilding Ansem's old computer system was harder than any of the others had expected. Being taught by Ansem himself meant that Riku was usually the only one to make any sort of actual progress with it.

There was the added under the table job that Zack had asked him to perform as well. Riku still was not sure what the purpose of deleting all of Ansem's old files on the Jenova project and himself was supposed to accomplish. He was the only one who could master the system well enough to retrieve them; in addition, he was one of only five people who knew the password into the computer system. However, the boy saved the files on a separate drive and deleted the originals anyway.

Therefore, the idea of taking a shortcut home sounded fine to the cyan-eyed boy's tired and distracted mind that evening.

The silvered adolescent was pulled from his musings as he cut between two buildings and into an alleyway. A sound to his left told the boy that someone else was in the alley, staggering slightly and moving in his direction. Their scent was familiar, but not so much that he could discern who it was by that alone. He could however, smell the tinge of alcohol on them...whoever it was had clearly had a little too much to drink that evening. The teenager stepped into the shadows and waited for the person to pass by.

A moment later, Reno crossed the alley ahead of the boy, clearly unaware of his presence. Riku was going to let the man continue for a few paces before he moved, as he simply did not feel like talking and certainly was not up for the man's antics, but he had a strange feeling that danger was near. The man's judgment would probably be compromised by the amount of alcohol he had no doubt consumed.

"Reno;" Riku stepped out of the shadows and approached the redhead, who had paused and turned upon hearing his name.

A smirk reached the Turk's lips as his icy blue eyes fell on the adolescent. "Hey Silver, what are you doing here?"

"Taking a shortcut;" The cyan-eyed teen shrugged and continued walking, the man falling into step beside him without preamble.

"Why are you out so late by yourself?" asked Reno after a moment of silence.

The sense of danger was still present, and the boy was beginning to grow nervous as he tried to pay attention to any sounds or scents in the alley ahead of or behind them. He could detect none. "I got caught up working on a program on Ansem's old computer."

The silver-haired boy turned his head to glance behind them, wondering what exactly was going on. He vaguely noticed that Reno was murmuring something beside him, but did not pay attention to the words. He made a noncommittal sound a couple times, his focus still on the odd feeling that was creeping up on him.

One of the Turk's hands abruptly gripped Riku's shoulder, turning the boy towards him as he lurched forward, his other hand slipping up the front of the boy's abdomen, lifting his shirt in the process. The cyan-eyed teen gasped and raised his hands to catch the man's chest as he looked up the alley, wondering if the intoxicated man would be able to keep his footing until they reached the end.

Before Riku could turn his head back to the Turk, he hissed as he was slammed against the wall behind him abruptly. His back and head collided with the stone wall painfully as a hot mouth attached to the joint where his shoulder met his neck. At the same time, the hand under Riku's shirt shifted in a manner that was definitely not innocent while the other hand dipped under the waistline of the adolescent's pants. Once the teen realised his mistake, he shifted his weight and tried to push the man off.

Reno's mouth remained on the boy's skin as his hand expertly slipped further down the teen's pants to grip his limp groin, causing the adolescent to release a fearful groan. Then Riku saw an opening and punched the Turk in the stomach as hard as he could at the awkward angle. With a groan, the redhead pulled his head back as he doubled over, and Riku punched him in the jaw. Both males crashed to the ground due to the man's hands being tangled in the boy's clothing.

Riku quickly scrambled out of the Turk's grasp and summoned Way to the Dawn, which was aimed at the redhead's throat as the boy kneeled on the ground a few feet away from him. Fearful icy blue eyes met frightened and angry cyan for the briefest moment.

"Drunk or not, you'd better never touch me again." Riku released his Keyblade and ran before the man could respond, knowing that he could not mistake the warning while staring into his eyes like that.

Riku did not stop running until he was inside Leon's house.

Reno remained in the alley long after the boy's footsteps faded into nothing.

Two days later found Reno passing through the same alleyway, as it was the most effective shortcut from the business part of town to the residential area. The man had been thinking of the incident with the boy over that time. Not only did he feel genuine remorse for violating the adolescent, but also, he was concerned for his own well-being. The boy was fair and honestly preferred not to harm people, especially people who were not a serious threat, and for someone of the teen's skill and breeding, few were.

However, after a previous and less forceful incident between him and the silvered adolescent, both the boy's boyfriend and his godfather had warned Reno about the consequences for any repeat offences. The redhead had had every intention of heeding those warnings, but the combination of his drunken state that night and the lack of the boy's usual stand-offish attitude toward the Turk had made it too easy to resist.

At least the former SOLDIER simply slammed the Turk against a wall and threatened him with bodily harm…Reno was much more concerned over Leon's warning. Most tended to forget what the former mercenary was capable of now that he was a revered leader and swordsman. Reno knew the boy would insist that he had handled it, which was true; however, he doubted that Leon and Zack would simply let the incident go unpunished.

Therefore, Reno was not surprised when he heard someone step into the alley behind him after passing the juncture he had met Riku in two evenings prior. He turned around as he drew his weapon, hoping that he would not truly need it, and then his breath hitched as his eyes widened.

Standing in the alley was not Leon or Zack, but Sephiroth.

The winged man's face was set in a dangerously cold expression. "Good. I see I need no introduction."

The Turk debated running on the spot. He only did not because he knew he could not outrun an angel. "What the…what do you want?"

Catlike sea green eyes narrowed. "What I want, is to ensure that you never harm my son again."

The redhead raised his free hand and took a step back as the silvered man began to move forward slowly. "Trust me, I've been warned about that enough, yo."

The former SOLDIER made a contemptuous sound as he continued his advance. "This is not a petty warning or threat. I am simply going to remove your reason for desiring him."

Reno's eyes widened as he realised what the one-winged angel was insinuating. He dodged Masamune and attempted to duck past the winged man, but felt a hand grab his neck painfully as he did so before he was slammed against the opposite wall.

The Turk swiped at the hybrid with his Electro Magnetic Rod, which the winged man easily dodged before attacking with his own weapon. Reno managed to evade the first two attacks, but was slashed in the thigh the third time, before being struck in the shoulder with the hilt of Masamune.

His back arched in pain, before he let out a blood curdling scream as a new and more terrible pain shot through his body from his neither regions. The edges of his vision turned dark and all he could hear was his pulse pounding and the blood rushing in his ears. As something dropped and the pain intensified, Reno felt Masamune leave him and he collapsed to the ground once he was no longer pinned to the wall.

Reno heard a voice pleading, "Please, stop." All he could determine was that the voice was not his own.

Then he succumbed to the pain and blacked out.


	2. Nut: The Extended Edition

Zack and Cloud were walking down a road near Tifa's tavern on a shared patrol late in the evening when the blonde man suddenly stopped speaking and walking…he even appeared to be holding his breath.

The elder was about to ask what was wrong when he noticed an odd feeling in the back of his mind. Almost like something in him was screaming to pay attention. "Is that…?"

Cloud offered the briefest nod; "He's nearby…" He quickly turned his head as Mako blue eyed darted back in the direction they had just come from.

Zack turned to watch the road ahead as well, trying to focus on the feeling in the back of his mind. He was not as attuned to it as Cloud. "Seph…?" He questioned quietly, almost to himself as he wondered if his old friend caused that strange feeling.

The raven-haired man glanced at the friend standing beside him. Cloud gave another brief nod. "Damn," this time Zack spoke loud enough for Cloud to hear. "Maybe he's just watching Riku again…he should be on his way home now. I really need to tell him to call it a day earlier…We should find-"

"He's not headed toward your house and Riku would be at least this far by now…the kid never leaves _this _late," interrupted the blonde man. After a short pause in which he seemed to be concentrating, Cloud continued. "He's near _Seventh Heaven_."

The violet-eyed man furrowed his brows in confusion and concern. He hated to be suspicious of his former best friend's every move, but Sephiroth would not simply decide to walk into town and head to the tavern. "Why would he be here?"

"I don't know," admitted Cloud.

Zack released a heavy breath as he nodded. "Then we should check it-"

A terrible scream sounded from one of the alleyways in the direction both men were currently watching. Without a word, the former SOLDIERs drew their swords as they broke into a run…Both hoping to get there before it was too late, but with very different ideas of what that meant.

Zack and Cloud each skidded to a halt at the mouth of an alleyway, in which the former had recently threatened a certain Turk. Two pairs of Mako enhanced eyes widened at the unexpected sight before them.

Reno was lying on the ground as though he had crumpled against the wall. His face was pale and twisted in agony as his equally pallid hands clutched between his legs, where dark blood was pooling from him, seeping through his clothes and between his fingers to run onto the ground beside him. He did not appear to be conscious, but he certainly was alive and in dire need of a healer.

Standing before Reno, as though guarding his near-unconscious form was Riku… The silvered adolescent looked pained but determined, as he stood with his arms out slightly in a shielding gesture. His breathing was heavy, as though he were injured, upset, or terrified.

Across the alley, a mere few feet away from the boy, stood Sephiroth. He had Masamune drawn but lowered…blood was dripping from the tip. The winged man's voice was cold and frightening as he spoke. "Stand aside, child."

In contrast to his father's cruelly emotionless tone, Riku's voice sounded sorrowful, but surprisingly steady as he replied. "I will not allow this."

Zack took one slow and silent step forward, hoping he could position himself to quickly move between the man and the boy if need be, but he froze on the spot when Sephiroth slowly glanced in his direction as a feral grin touched his lips.

"It's good to see you again, Zachary. Here to fail to save another person you cherish?"

Before Zack could fully register the pain that greeting caused him through the shock he felt at his former friend's words, Riku acted.

Way to the Dawn materialised in the boy's hand as he raised it, and the teen struck Masamune away in one fluid movement. Then, the young Keybearer drove the winged man back with a few carefully executed advances. As Sephiroth jumped back further in order to have enough range to use his own sword, Riku called "Get Reno" to the two men at the end of the alleyway.

Zack felt another strange sensation as he and Cloud both moved forward to follow the order without even attempting to process the situation fully. A quick glance as they approached the injured Turk told the raven-haired man that Cloud felt it as well. The small frown and narrowed eyes on his friend's features suggested that the blonde man understood more then Zack did about these odd sensations, but not enough for his own liking.

The violet-eyed man glanced behind him with a heavy weight in his heart as they carried the now unconscious Turk out of the alleyway. The weight continued to grow and Zack looked forward again once they reached the street to find Cloud watching him with a pensive expression. Once he realised his friend was looking at him, the blonde man nodded once and then adjusted his hold on Reno so he could take over carrying him on his own.

"Just remember that he's not who he used to be," stated Cloud as he adjusted the redheaded man's weight against him.

The raven-haired man nodded before replying, "Just take Reno to Aerith and make sure she and Leon know what's happening. I can't leave this to Riku."

The blue-eyed man nodded; "He's dealt with enough already…be careful, Zack." The two former SOLDIERs turned in opposite directions, and then Zack broke into a run again.

The raven-haired man heard the sounds of swords clashing as well as some slight sounds of movement ahead as he approached the alley in which he had left Riku and Sephiroth. Then an odd sound occurred accompanied by something the violet-eyed man could only describe as a flash of darkness. Once again, he skidded to a halt upon reaching his destination.

Thick streaks of blood stained the further wall and the silver-haired adolescent, who was standing slightly curled on himself, as though in great pain, with black feathers on the ground all around him as well as more blood.

Sephiroth was standing a few feet away from the boy, with one of his wings bleeding and twisted grotesquely, and Masamune was ensanguined even more than before. Then the winged man lunged and Riku straightened somewhat to meet the attack head on.

Despite the confines of the alley, both of the silvered males continued to duel gracefully and brutally. As Zack watched, waiting for an opening to enter the duel without putting Riku at further risk, he realised that Riku was aiming to disarm while Sephiroth seemed to actually want to injure the boy…neither appeared to be trying to kill. The violet-eyed man hoped that was not just what he wanted to see.

Riku jumped back several feet to avoid a strike from his father's hand, and this finally gave Sephiroth the distance to use Masamune to his full ability. The silvered adolescent dodged and parried the first few attacks impressively well, but then he abruptly had to dodge a wall of flames that appeared beside him, and he was subsequently caught by the end of Masamune just above his left hip.

Zack heard fabric tear as Sephiroth used his sword to throw the boy face-first into the opposite wall. When Riku fell into a crouch, the former SOLDIER saw a large stain of fresh blood on the wall. He moved in and blocked Masamune with his buster sword before the winged man could deliver a follow-up attack.

Sephiroth jumped back and pair of feline-like eyes met those of his former best friend. "I do not want to prove once again that I am the stronger of us. Stand aside, Zachary."

The winged man moved Masamune and made to step around his former friend, but Zack countered his movements and adjusted his grip on his sword. "I promised you once that I would protect that kid and I am going to. Please, Seph…"

"You promised to protect my child if I could not. Clearly, that is not the case." The silvered man's vertical pupils thinned as he attacked.

"You're not protecting him, Seph, you're hurting him…" Zack blocked a series of attacks in quick succession. The former SOLDIER was soon reminded of the only other time he had ever confronted his friend this way, and it was just as clear now that he was the weaker duellist.

After a moment, whether seconds or minutes Zack could not tell, Sephiroth drove the violet-eyed man back and then raised his right hand, "That's enough."

The air around them grew darker than the night had already been, and then three orbs of pure darkness formed and encircled Zack. The three orbs honed in on the raven-haired man, who managed to dodge one and strike another with his buster sword, however, the third struck him squarely between his shoulder blades.

Zack fell to his knees as the edges of his vision darkened. He could make out Sephiroth moving in for another attack, but before he needed to worry about defence, the winged prong of Way to the Dawn hooked the silvered man's injured wing and pulled him back as he snarled in pain. With a few quick strikes and graceful movements, Riku had positioned himself between Sephiroth and Zack again. Then the boy began to drive the winged man further into the alley.

Zack recognised Sephiroth's plan just before he could execute it. The winged man allowed himself to be backed further into the alley, until he finally drove the boy back with a fire spell before dashing around the corner into another alley. Riku followed as Zack called for him to wait.

The silvered adolescent was better prepared than the former SOLDIER had credited him, and he managed to guide Masamune aside with his own blade, so that it struck the wall instead of his shoulder. Instead of backing again, Sephiroth moved closer to the boy, and Zack could tell by the teen's pained expression that he something cruel before Riku struck him with a Dark Aura.

The two silver-haired males disappeared around the corner as Zack pulled a health potion from his cargo pocket and quickly downed its contents. He stood once the potion took effect and grabbed his sword as he dashed for the end of the alley. He turned the corner to see more bloodied walls and a flash of darkness before Riku's weapon vanished as the boy's shoulders slumped as he hung his head.

That strange sensation in the back of Zack's mind vanished, and he knew Sephiroth was truly gone.

The former SOLDIER rushed to Riku, whose back was facing him as he stood still, face downcast and shoulders trembling. "Are you alright?"

Riku turned his head in the other direction slightly before he responded flatly and quietly. "Yes, despite what you and Squall clearly think of me, I _can _handle myself."

The violet-eyed man frowned. He raised a hand to place on the boy's shoulder, but thought better of it and allowed his hand to simply drop back to his side. He knew that he and Leon should have expected the adolescent to hear of their warnings to the Turk at some point, but he could not figure out why that would come up now. Reno clearly had not been in a position to say anything, therefore there was only one person who could have told Riku…but Zack could not figure out _how _that person could have known.

The former SOLDIER's eyes fell onto the blood that was beginning to run down the wall and then took in the blood that soaked the boy's torn clothing. "How badly are you injured?"

The teenager sounded heartbroken as he responded quietly. "I healed it already."

Violet eyes snapped up to what he could see of the boy's face. "Is he…?"

Riku wiped his eyes as discreetly as he could, and the former SOLDIER decided not to comment on the boy's obvious distress yet. The cyan-eyed teen turned his gaze to the wall Zack had just been watching. "He'll be alright. He just…left. I don't think he'll be able to use that wing again though…unless he can heal really well."

"Well, Reno only has one nut now, so if he can't, I'd say they're even."

The raven-haired man turned at the sound of the voice behind them. Tifa, Rude, and Yuffie were approaching from the other end of the alley. The mahogany-eyed woman quickly looked over Riku and Zack before speaking. "Cloud and Aerith are still with him. Zell took off to let Leon know what happened. You should get back there before he does…he'll worry. Aerith already is, but she can at least tell that you're both alive."

Zack placed a hand on Riku's shoulder, without hesitating as he had before. Despite how still the boy appeared, he could feel the adolescent shaking slightly. He wondered what emotion was causing that reaction, if it was not simply physical shock. Violet eyes glanced back at Tifa. "Did Reno say what happened? How this started…?"

Tifa shook her head slightly as she glanced at Riku, who was still turned to the wall, with a concerned expression. "Sephiroth told him he was going to make sure he never…sought to touch his son again. Riku interrupted while he was in the process of castrating him. If the kid hadn't intervened…"

The former SOLDIER hissed quietly and closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Tifa again. "So when Yuffie made that nut comment, she meant it literally?"

The umber-haired woman nodded. "Fortunately, Riku stopped him before he could complete the job. I think Reno has a whole new respect for the kid now."

Zack nodded vaguely. His eyes were fixed on the boy beside him and his voice sounded distant as he responded. "Will you go and tell the others that we're both alright and that Sep- he's gone? We'll be there in a moment."

The mahogany-eyed woman opened her mouth as though to protest, but closed it without a word as Rude gently touched her shoulder. Tifa nodded and looked at Riku with concern again. Rude, who looked as shaken as Zack could ever recall seeing him, wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders as they followed an uncharacteristically tame Yuffie out of the alley.

The raven-haired man swallowed thickly, still watching Riku closely. "Did Reno-"

"No." The silvered adolescent's eyes were still fixed on the blood-spattered wall before him. "He was drunk that night and he wasn't thinking. I was cutting through here on my way home and we crossed paths. I could tell there was danger near, but I didn't realise… So we walked together. At first, he was just talking to me, but I'm not sure what about…and then he just grabbed me."

Zack set his jaw and felt every muscle in him tighten. "What happened?"

Riku's head lowered slightly, yet his eyes remained in place. "I wasn't paying attention…I thought he just stumbled onto me. Before I even knew what was really happening he had his mouth on my neck and his hands in my clothes. He pinned me against the wall, the same way my father just did to him, and then I hit him."

The violet-eyed man waited until it was clear that the boy did not intend to offer any more information on the matter before questioning further. "With a Dark Aura or the Keyblade…?"

"Neither; I just hit him. I punched him a couple of times and warned him never to touch me again…and then I ran to Squall's house. He found me in the shower later. I was still kind of shaken up, but I was okay. I told him what happened and that I had taken care of it." The cyan-eyed boy finally looked at Zack. His expressive eyes were filled with pain, shame, anger, fear, and a very strong resolve. "None of you should have taken it any further…but this…I…-"

"It's too much." Zack agreed before sighing heavily as he glanced at the surrounding blood and feathers, and then he met the boy's eyes again. "I'm sorry Riku. I really am. Neither Leon nor I ever meant to insinuate that you can't handle yourself and we certainly never meant for anything like this to happen. We just want to protect you."

"So does he," replied Riku softly as he dropped his gaze yet again. "But I can't let anything like this happen again."

The former SOLDIER nodded; his expression pained, disgusted, and regretful. He followed Riku's stare to the bloodied wall once more. "I can't believe he did this. I understand wanting to leave a warning or even wanting to hurt Reno for what he did, but he never should have done something so…permanent and demented. This…this is inhuman."

The teenager's voice was so soft that Zack nearly missed his responding question. "Is he sill human…?"

The raven-haired man's eyes grew sad before suddenly widening slightly with fright as he grabbed the teen's shoulder again. "Riku, I don't want you to be alone with him again…not if it can be helped. He's too dangerous. I thought he would start to come back to us once he started watching over you; I _hoped _he would, but the others were right…we can't presume that we can determine what he will do. I won't risk that he won't stop short of killing you every time."

"I know…but I have to find a way to help him, Zack. I have to stop him…he-" Riku turned his face further away. "I wanted him to come back to us too…I'm sorry."

Zack dropped his hand as he felt a weight settle in his chest. He did not want the boy to lose hope after holding onto it for so long, but for the first time since Sephiroth changed, he did not have any hope to offer. If his former best friend could mutilate someone and believe that he was within his rights to do so, then Zack had to admit that the man he knew and respected might truly be gone forever.

The former SOLDIER was spared the need to think of a reply to the boy, as he heard footsteps approaching rapidly. A brief moment later, Leon turned into the alley at a run. He slowed slightly upon seeing Zack and Riku standing together alone.

Then steel blue eyes widened and his pace quickened again as he saw the blood that stained the scene before him. "Riku…"

As though awakening from the trace the ordeal with his father had put him in, Riku released a shaky breath at the sound of his name, and he shuddered as tears pooled in his eyes before he turned and took a few steps to meet his boyfriend in a tight embrace.

"Are you alright?" asked the scarred man as he gently dropped his head atop the teenager's silvered one while maintaining his hold on the boy. Riku nodded, clearly unable to speak as his shoulders shook slightly and he tightened his own grip on the sable-haired man. Leon glanced at Zack with a questioning expression.

The violet-eyed man nodded as well, his eyes on the adolescent in his friend's arms. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have left him." He looked up to meet Leon's gaze. "How's Reno?"

"He had one of his testicles stabbed and torn off, how would you be? Physically, he still has the other and he'll recover from the shock and adapt to the change in time. Cloud's taking him home now." The steel-eyed man stroked his young lover's hair before gripping his upper arms gently and holding the boy away from him enough to see his face. The Gunblade wielder's own features became pained and concerned when he looked into Riku's expressive eyes. "You don't have to decide what to do tonight…and whatever you do decide to do, you aren't doing it alone. Promise me that."

The cyan-eyed teen nodded once again as his hands slid up to rest against the scarred man's chest. "Thanks Squall."

Leon caressed the boy's cheek as he gazed down at him with an almost pitying expression. Then, both turned their heads to look at Zack. "Are you sure you're okay?" questioned Riku.

The former SOLDIER nodded once again and offered the boy a weak smile. "I just…would it be too cliché to say that I'm disappointed? I thought…even like this, I thought he was better than…all of this."

Riku nodded his understanding, and then Leon pulled the boy closer to himself again. Steel eyes met violet. "I think we should all head home. Aerith was pretty worried when I came here; she'll want to see that you're both alright."

Zack took one last glance around the bloodied alley before he met Leon's eyes again and nodded. "Yeah, let's go home."

The three males left the alleyway in silence, which was surprisingly broken by Riku, who suddenly said Zack's name as they turned the next corner.

The violet-eyed man turned to the silvered adolescent and made a questioning sound in his throat. Cyan eyes rose to meet his as the boy's head remained against Leon's shoulder while he asked his question softly. "Can I stay with Squall tonight?"

Zack ran a hand through his hair and released a heavy breath that almost sounded like a weak chuckle. "Yeah; I think you'll need him. I know I'm glad to be going home to Aerith right now."

The former SOLDIER vaguely heard Riku thank him before a deep silence settled over them once again.

As they neared their houses, Zack turned to the other two. "Leon was right earlier, Ku. You don't have to decide anything…at all, actually. This isn't your responsibility, I… I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The violet-eyed man sighed in relief when the boy nodded. Then he met Leon's eyes. "Thanks Leon."

The Gunblade wielder nodded. "Thanks for turning back."

"Of course;" Zack touched Riku's shoulder and then the couple turned to head into Leon's house. Once they were inside, the raven-haired man turned to go to his home across the road.

As he locked the door, a pair of warm arms wrapped around him and he felt Aerith place a kiss on the back of his neck. "Are you alright?"

He settled his arms over hers and released a heavy breath. His voice was oddly steady as he responded. "I don't know if he's coming back anymore."

Aerith stepped back and Zack turned to gaze into her sympathetic face. She reached forward and took his hands. "Is Riku staying with Leon tonight?"

Zack nodded and swallowed. "This hit him harder than he's letting on. I don't think he'd let it out with me…"

"He loves you and he knows how much Sephiroth means to you," the green-eyed woman stated kindly as she led Zack to the bedroom and gently guided him to sit on the end of the bed. Then she sat beside him, having never released his hand the entire time. "It will hurt Leon to see Riku upset, but anything he says about Sephiroth won't affect him the way it would you. Let Leon take care of him tonight…your turn will come soon enough, I'm afraid."

Violet-eyes that had been staring vacantly across the room as Aerith spoke suddenly turned to her, fully alert. "You don't think there's any hope left for him?"

Aerith raised a soft hand to caress Zack's rough cheek. "I think it's going to get worse before it gets better…and Riku will need you and Leon both to get through this."

"I think Riku manipulated the Jenova cells in Cloud and me tonight without even realising what he was doing." The former SOLDIER ran the back of his knuckles over Aerith's cheek to sooth away her shocked expression. "He gave us an order, and the cells just made us react without thinking. Fortunately, the control was weak…more suggestive than controlling. I turned back as soon as I wrapped my head around it."

The green-eyed woman looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are you sure it wasn't Sephiroth or Jenova herself that made you act on it?"

"No…I'm not really sure of anything right now." Zack sighed again and looked at Aerith with deep concern. "Except that I can't lose that kid the way I lost Sephiroth. I'm not sure which is the best way to protect him though."

"Maybe you need to let him decide." Aerith spoke patiently as she slipped an arm around Zack's neck. "He agreed to let you handle looking into Hilargi's research on him without any protest…you said he almost seemed relieved. Maybe he still would rather not know…or maybe he finally feels like he's ready to learn the truth."

The violet-eyed man wrapped an arm around her waist and looked across the room with an expression between sad and frightened. "Sephiroth thought he was ready…and we know how that turned out."

"But Riku isn't Sephiroth." The green-eyed woman kissed Zack's temple gently. "He's already shown that he can handle a lot, and he seems to know his own weaknesses pretty well too. You should trust his judgment on this."

Zack glanced out the window as he gave Aerith a light squeeze. "I do trust him, but…he tries to handle so much on his own, and he feels responsible for so much. There is no way he's not going to act on this, and I still don't know what Seph's intentions are with him."

Aerith smiled lightly. "Do you honestly think he doesn't know that you and Leon aren't going to let him face this alone? Squall never let the people he loved face danger alone, and in case you haven't noticed, Leon is Squall again when it comes to that boy."

"He did ask Riku to promise that he wouldn't go it alone this time," the raven-haired man conceded.

The woman's smile turned knowing; "And did he?"

Zack smiled lightly as well. "Of course, when does he ever deny Leon?"

"Well there you go…he won't break that promise." Aerith kissed Zack again before slipping off the bed. "It's been a long day for both of us. Why don't we get some rest, and you can talk to Riku about all of this tomorrow?"

"Yeah…I'm sure he and Leon will be at headquarters bright and early despite everything that happened today…they are definitely two peas in pod." The former SOLDIER stood and pulled Aerith to him and kissed her. "Thanks, Aer…I love you."

"I love you too," Aerith kissed him again. "Try not to worry about tomorrow…whatever is going to happen, will happen."

Zack smiled as Aerith headed to the bathroom. He glanced down the hall and saw that a light was still on across the street. He was surprised to see the light go out.

He turned back to the bedroom, knowing that Leon was taking care of things on that end, just as Aerith had helped him.

The former SOLDIER stayed awake late into the night, holding Aerith and hoping that everything would truly end better this time around.


	3. Epilogue

Zack left late the following morning, as Aerith had shut off his alarm to make him get some much-needed rest. Once he arrived at the Reconstruction Committee Headquarters and saw that neither Riku nor Leon was there, he immediately panicked. "Where are Leon and Riku?"

Cid put out his cigarette and looked away from his computer. The Gummi mechanic looked as concerned as Zack had ever seen him. "They called in…Leon arranged for everyone else to be in charge of different duties. It sounds like he doesn't expect them to be out for very long, but he wouldn't say what they were doing."

The former SOLDIER turned and left the building without a word, but he knew he did not have to explain. Cid called "Keep me updated" as Zack left Headquarters. He ran all the way to Leon's house and entered using his spare key, not bothering to try knocking first.

The house was almost completely silent. Zack could hear the kitchen clock ticking and his own heart beat as he looked around the empty sitting room, kitchen, and hallway. No lights were on in the hall. The bathroom and study doors were open.

Violet eyes fell onto a familiar duffle bag sitting near the back door, and then he heard a faint agitated noise from the bedroom, which he was certain came from Leon. Wondering if the boy could have possibly given the man the slip, he quietly approached the door, which was barely ajar, and eased it opened.

Leon was indeed standing in the room, but he was not alone. He had one arm wrapped tightly around Riku's waist; the other hand was gripping the boy's jaw, and he had dipped his head down to capture Riku's mouth in a deep but tender kiss. The silvered adolescent had one hand resting against the man's chest and the other was holding the back of Leon's neck.

As Zack blinked and considered backing out of the room, the couple's mouths parted, Riku pressed his face into Leon's shoulder as the man shifted his hand from the boy's jaw to the back of his head, and then Leon rested his cheek against the teen's hair before speaking resolutely.

"I don't care what we find, I'm with you and I love you. You aren't him…you aren't any of them."

The former SOLDIER could barely make out Riku's muffled murmur, and could not discern what the boy was saying.

Despite the concern that the scarred man's statement had arisen in him, Zack felt oddly pleased by Leon's words. He briefly thought of the man's behaviour as of late. He was much less guarded with his thoughts and emotions. Leon usually let very little be known about his feelings…he did not want them used against him. Zack knew that the chief cause for that change in his friend was Riku.

He smiled faintly. At least one good thing had come from all of this. "It's good to have you back, Squall."

The Gunblade wielder glanced up at Zack as his arms instinctively tightened their hold on Riku, who looked up as well, although with less surprise and concern.

Leon nodded once in acknowledgment of the violet-eyed man's statement, before loosening his hold on Riku somewhat. "How long have you been here?"

The raven-haired man crossed his arms over his chest, "Long enough to realise that you're leaving and to know that you really intend to take care of him."

Riku looked bemused, but Leon arched an eyebrow. "Did you ever doubt that?"

"No but," the former SOLDIER ran a hand through his hair. "You know I think of him as my own. It's hard to know what the best thing to do for him is, you know?"

The steel-eyed man nodded his understanding. Meanwhile, Riku continued to look confused. "Back to what you said before…who's leaving?"

Both men glanced down at the cyan-eyed teen with perplexed expressions, and then Leon returned his gaze to Zack. "That's right…what were you talking about?"

The violet-eyed man looked from one to the other, trying to find any hint of deception, wondering why they would _want _to deceive him. "Okay…Sephiroth's old duffle bag, which is now Riku's, is sitting by the front door and is clearly filled. When I came in here, and after you were done kissing Riku into submission, I might add, you said that you were with him no matter what you find. This leads me to the conclusion that you're looking for something."

"Well, yeah." Leon grinned at Riku's response. Zack wondered why the boy's age chose to make itself known at the strangest moments.

"We don't have to go anywhere to find what we're looking for," the scarred man clarified, clearly noting his friend's confused expression.

Riku nodded vaguely, as though to himself. "We went to the castle ruins this morning and Ansem's old study. The bag contains all of his remaining research notes, theories, and findings on the darkness of the heart, Jenova, and me."

The former SOLDIER felt his body tense. "Riku…no; please, that's where everything went wrong for Genesis and your dad. They lost it after they learned everything. It's just too much to take in at once."

"In all fairness, it isn't the same situation for Riku," commented Leon as he stroked the boy's side absently. "He already knows what the last straw is, and he wasn't 'created' like they were…he wasn't just a test subject, he was their son."

"I think it's a lot like the darkness," added Riku softly. He wasn't meeting either man's eyes and Zack could not tell whether the boy was seeing what was in front of him or not. "DIZ said I was unique in the sense that I gain strength from my suffering instead of being beaten by it…and Naminé and Mickey said that the light in my heart will allow me to overcome the darkest darkness, just as the darkness in me will allow me to see through the brightest light. Once I truly accept both, neither power could take me. I can control both, so I shouldn't have to be afraid anymore…"

The silvered adolescent lowered his gaze further. "Only I was -am- afraid. I'm afraid of _him_…of his darkness, and the light is just as extreme. But…the darkness, the light, the Keyblade, Jenova's cells, my father…even the power I keep suppressed within my heart…they're all a part of me. I cannot be afraid of myself anymore. I'm going to need every scrap of power I posses to save my father…and I _am _going to save him."

The ex SOLDIER tried to catch the boy's eyes but the teen would not look up. While Zack was pleased to see that Riku had not lost hope, and had even gained some of his own hope back by the child's determination, he still could not be all right with the idea of Riku looking into his and his father's origins. He simply could not trust that the knowledge would not be detrimental to the boy, and he could not bear the thought of losing him. However, he knew that Riku was aware of his concerns, and was not sure what the reaction would be if he simply demanded that the adolescent not look in to the matter any further. That would not have stopped Zack or Sephiroth at the boy's age

"He respects you're wishes, Zack." Leon stated as though he could tell exactly what the violet-eyed man had been thinking. "He was upset about how he was supposed to go about all of this without hurting or worrying you last night…among other things, obviously. I had my own concerns as well. This is why I made a suggestion, which I think is a fair medium. While he was reluctant to accept because he didn't want to ask any more of us, he finally did."

"How can you be comfortable with any of this though?" questioned the violet-eyed man as he met his friend's gaze. "I know that Riku means as much to you as he does to me. I told you what happened with Sephiroth and the others. I told you most of what Hilargi's reports say about him. How can you not know what this could do to him?"

Steel-blue eyes narrowed slightly. "With all due respect, I think you're forgetting who we're talking about. Think of what Riku said just a moment ago. He has lived with the darkness, the light, the Keyblade, Jenova's cells, and his father's blood in him all his life. He doesn't need to know everything the records in that duffel bag, his mother's old files, or any of the portable drives that both of us have, to understand them. He just needs a few questions answers for his own sanity so can actually use his power instead of constantly trying to suppress it."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to attack you." Zack held up a hand to stop either of the others from interrupting him. "I know you wouldn't knowingly risk Riku. And Ku, I know that you're stronger than we tend to give you credit for…but you have to understand my concerns here."

The cyan-eyed adolescent finally looked up to meet Zack's eyes, and the former SOLDIER saw pain, concern, and understanding in the turquoise spheres. Riku nodded once and Zack sighed. He was not sure what was going on, but at least he knew the boy understood why he was opposed to the idea. Zack's attention returned to Leon when the man sighed and stroked Riku's side once again.

"He isn't going to research the darkness, _I _am. That was my suggestion. He told me his last remaining question about it, and I'm going to do my best to find the answer for him. I want you to do the same with Jenova. He only has a few practical questions about that…And he won't have as good an idea as you would about where to look." The former SeeD fixed Zack with a pointed look before he could respond to any of this. "Either you can answer those questions for him, or he can search through everything to try to find them himself...I'm not any more comfortable with that idea than you are."

"Zack, I won't fight my father." Cyan eyes begged the former SOLDIER to understand. "But we can't let him keep doing these terrible things. We need to fight the ties that Jenova and the darkness have on him. If we can do that then we might be able to help him save himself…he's the only one who truly can. No one could save me from Xehanort's Heartless or the darkness, and I think it's the same for him. But I only understand the darkness…I don't know Jenova. I've heard her speak to my father through nightmares, but she doesn't have that connection with me."

The raven-haired man was both relieved and concerned by the boy's words. "You…saw your dad in nightmares?" He glanced at Leon, who only nodded. "Does Seph know?"

Riku shrugged slightly. "He's never given any signs of knowing."

Zack was almost afraid to ask. "What did you see?" He regretted asking as soon as he saw the fear and pain fill the child's eyes. He inhaled sharply. "You saw Nibelheim…"

"I saw what she did to him…what she led him to do." The silver-haired teen spoke softly but evenly. "I won't allow either of them to do that to me…And I want to help him. Please, Zack…you have to understand that."

The ex-SOLDIER searched the boy's eyes for another moment before stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Of course I understand. All right, I'll answer your questions, but depending on how you react to each, I might not answer them all at once. I also want you to stick close to either Leon or me while we're doing this; Deal?"

Riku nodded and smiled softly; "Deal. Thanks Zack. I don't think anything is going to change for a while though."

"I don't think so either," replied the violet-eyed man as he gently squeezed the boy's shoulder. "But no matter what happens afterwards, we'll get through it, alright?"

"Yeah;" Riku chuckled softly and shook his head. "Why do I always get the saps? Well, Squall's usually okay."

The Gunblade wielder pulled Riku back against him as he arched an eyebrow, "Usually?"

"Okay, that's enough," Zack said with a genuine smile. "So you guys are off for the rest of the day?"

Leon nodded with a small grin and then Riku twisted his neck to look at the steel-eyed man. "We should go see how Reno's doing. I want to make sure he's alright."

"Okay, I'll go get my boots." The sable-haired man glanced at Zack, "...You coming along? If I can pull off leaving everything for a day then I'm sure you can."

"Okay, I'd like to see how he is too." The raven-haired man pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "Let me just let Cid and Aerith know that Riku's alright."

Leon smirked slightly and looked at Riku as they both pulled on their shoes. "I told you he likes you."

The turquoise-eyed teen looked up hopefully. "Do you think I can get him to stop calling me Jailbait then?"

Both Squall and Zack snorted. "No."

"I guess some things never change," the boy replied with a soft smile.


End file.
